TRIPOLI, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army on Tuesday announced the launch of a comprehensive military operation against terrorism and crime in the south of the country.
"In response to the call of our people in the south, which is suffering from all kinds of terrorism and crime, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Khalifa Haftar, issued an order to launch a comprehensive military operation in the region," the army said in a statement.
The operation aims to protect people from terrorists and criminal groups who are working with foreign countries and pose threats to the Libyan identity, said the statement.
The operation aims to protect and secure the people against terrorists, whether the Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaida, and criminal groups in the south to change ... the Libyan identity, the statement said.
The operation also aims at securing oil, gas and water supply resources and to combat crime and illegal immigration, it added.
In March 2018, the Libyan army carried out a similar operation, mainly in the form of airstrikes, against members of the Chadian armed opposition in Libyan territory.
Libya is divided between two governments, one in the east and the other in the west. The army is allied with the eastern-based government.
